More Than Freedom
by BloodTiers
Summary: After what was dubbed "The Immortals War", Tortall is once again at peace. For Veralidaine Sarrasri, this peace comes as a breath of fresh air - or at least it should. When Daine gets news that would bring her back to her hometown of Snowsdale for the first time since her mother's death, she must face a different kind of struggle.


"Order is a mortal dream; chaos is the law of the realms" - Chaos: A Study, from the Library of the University in Carthak

Sweat soaked the back of the mage's dirty gray robes as she braced herself against her dead master's desk; her face twisted in concentration and pain. The yellow ochre aura of her gift was so intense, it looked as if she were on fire. At her feet, a swirling, colorful pool pulsated and heaved. A second mage fell to his knees at the edge of the pool, surrounded with an identical magical aura, his expression nearly maniacal.

"You are strong indeed, mortals, to call me here," a voice issued out of the shimmering pool.

"We wish to finish the work our master started," said the woman. She gasped with the effort the words cost her.

"Your master is defeated. Why should I place my trust in those taught by him?" said the voice. On the floor, the man shifted and grunted, reaching out toward a black velvet sack that lay near him.

"We are prepared to do what he was not," said the man. He drew out a small blade from the sack and held it against his palm. The voice laughed, causing the pool to churn and lurch.

"You sense our power, Uusoae. You know that we are capable to do what you ask. Let us serve you," said the woman. She staggered over to the man, her brother, and sank to her knees beside him.

"Let us serve you," he echoed. He thrust the blade down and dragged it across his palm. Clenching his fist over the pool, the droplets of his blood evaporated as they hit the strange liquid. Suddenly, it seemed as if the entire tower began to vibrate, but the man noticed that none of the objects surrounding him were moving. Slowly, he found himself being lifted to his feet, then into the air by an invisible force. He stayed there in mid air, levitating, the yellow aura surrounding him began to shift and change like the colors of the pool. He looked to his sister, and her face said what her words did not. She choked out a gleeful cry and scrambled to grab the knife.

Cutting deep, she held her fist out next to her brother's and let the stream of her blood mingle with his in the churning pool of the chaos vent. For a moment, she joined him, vibrating in mid air, before they were both thrown back with such force that they both slammed into opposite walls.

"It is done," said Uusoae. With that proclamation, the whole tower shook as the vent closed suddenly with a violent snap. The mages found each other's eyes, they were both bright with ecstatic joy.

A loud crash followed by a harassed whinny and a stream of curses startled Daine from the daydream she was enjoying while brushing out a Rider's black gelding. Placing the brush to the side, she took a moment to reassure the horse before going to investigate.

"Horse lords, of all the places to put a feed bucket! When I get my hands on whoever -" muttered a girl not much younger than Daine, rounding the corner of the stable. She stopped short when she saw Daine. The blush that crept into her cheeks was almost unnoticeable beneath the layer of fresh mud on her sun-browned face. "Mistress Daine, I didn't know you were still here," she began.

"I don't think that's what Onua meant by keeping your language appropriate for the recruits, Tesanee," said Daine. Her tone was chiding, but her eyes danced with laughter. The girl was covered head to toe in mud, hay, and oats. Her disheveled appearance, combined with the look of obvious frustration on her muddy face, made it impossible for Daine to keep her face stony and she let a giggle escape her throat. "What happened?"

"I tripped," she said. Her expression remained stormy for only a moment before she laughed with Daine. "Right into the full trough, of course. Spilled the bucket of water I was carrying all over me," she indicated her muddy clothes.

"Must be that legendary K'miri coordination I hear tell so much about," said Daine.

"Hey, that had nothing to do with -" said Tesanee.

"What's this about our proud people?" said Onua, making her way into the stable. Her freshly washed appearance and clean clothes were a stark contrast to Daine and Tesanee. Her sharp eyes surveyed the scene and Daine was sure she saw the ghost of a smirk pass across her face.

"Excuse me, Mistress Onua," said Tesanee, stumbling over the words.

"I sure hope you saved some feed for the horses," said Onua. Tesanee hastily tried to brush away some of the mess on her breeches, only to find that she was just making it worse.

"Yes, ma'am," said Tesanee, her blush now openly visible.

"You should consider yourself lucky for a couple of reasons, trainee," said Onua. Tesanee and Daine looked at her quizzically. "One, it's time to wash up for dinner anyway, and two," she paused, looking between the girls. "I'm not Sarge," she gave them a subtle wink. Almost as if on cue, a bell tolled in the distance, making Tesanee jump.

"I'll finish watering the horses, you go clean up," said Daine. Tesanee gave Daine a grateful look before running off as fast as she could in wet boots and breeches.

"You spoil that girl," said Onua, following Daine to the water trough.

"We both do that," said Daine. She smiled and handed a bucket to Onua, who grabbed it playfully.

"Reckon she's ready for a real ride?" asked Onua. Daine grunted with the effort of hauling the water bucket up from the well.

"Readier than I was, the first time you took me," said Daine.

"Fair enough. Tesa's been a quick study, and we were lucky she came to us. Although, these past few years in the search for trainees, I have yet to find anyone who has your talent," said the horse mistress. Daine blushed. Onua was not one to hand out praise freely.

"Tesa's gift is strong, and she loves the animals. She's horse-hearted, like you. It's obvious when she's with the herd, they treat her like one of their own. She takes gives and takes direction well, and she doesn't put up with any shenanigans. You should have seen her giving one of the new trainees a dressing down for not brushing down Shadow properly. The language she used would have made the Lioness blush," said Daine. She paused, grinning at the memory. "She'll make you a fine assistant horse mistress," she said finally. She smiled up at her friend, who appeared to be lost in thought. After a moment, she met Daine's eyes. Onua's gaze was persistent, and if Daine didn't know any better, she would have thought the older woman was trying to communicate telepathically.

"Well, we better get to it," said Onua. She stacked the water buckets neatly on top of one another, the trough full. "They'll be sitting down for dinner by now."

"You go ahead," said Daine. "Numair said he'd meet me here." Onua raised an eyebrow. "Kitten's lessons," she explained.

"Ah, well good luck with that," said Onua, brushing a thin layer of stable dust off her clean breeches. She was almost on her way out the door when she called over her shoulder, "Try to keep the explosions to a minimum this time".


End file.
